PLAYGROUND SURFACING MAINTENANCE

Safety surfacing is one of the most significant aspects of your playground. It not only gives kids something for them to play on but also keeps them safe from getting major injuries. This is why it is important to make sure you keep up the maintenance for not only your play equipment but your surfacing as well. Each type of surfacing need to be maintained as certain way. There area two types of safety surfacing; loose fill surfaces and unitary surfaces.

The loose fill surfaces consist of sand, wood mulch and rubber mulch. These types of surfaces constantly need to be maintained. If debris falls into the play area you can have the area blown off with a blower depending on the certain type of surfacing you have there. For example, most rubber mulch surfaces can easily be blown off due to their weight while some types of wood mulch may get blown out of place. These surfaces will also have displacement in areas where there is high traffic so you will need to keep an eye out to make sure those areas stay filled to the correct thickness that is required for your equipment’s fall height. You should have regular check ups of your surfacing to make sure you order more materials before the surface gets too low. Plan on topping of your loose surface at least once a year.

The unitary surfaces are poured in place rubber and artificial turf. These surfaces need less maintenance than the loose fill. They can withstand all types of weather but will still need some sort of cleaning once a year. This will help to make the most of the longevity of the surfaces. They also can be blown off much easier than the loose fill surfaces since these surfaces stay in place and can also be cleaned off with a hose. If you notice any type of wear of either surfacing you should contact an installer immediately to make sure the surfacing doesn’t get worse. For poured in place, you can also put a top coat of aliphatic binder over your existing poured in place surface every 5 years to make sure that no holes start to form.

Playground safety doesn’t end at installation but continues through maintenance. No matter what safety surfacing you have, make sure you are taking the proper steps in maintaining it.